Thursday, May 19, 2011

America's State Established Religion, Secular Humanism, Cannot Achieve Unity out of Diversity



by Randy Pope 
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You see it every year during the State of the Union Address, delivered by the President of the United States. After each major announcement one side of the room applauds their approval, while the other side sits stoically, demonstrating disapproval. This is just one manifestation of the fact that America is a divided nation. The differences of Americans have not always been as polarizing as they are today. So the question is, what has changed, and can unity be regained in such a vast nation of different peoples? 

People do not desire disunity. Philosophers have sought the secret of unity out of diversity from the very beginning of recorded history. The university was created to bring unity out of diversity – thus the combining of the two words to give us the word university. 

The day after the state of the union address the conversation in the work place went something like this, “do you think the American people want to see their leaders divided like that?” To which a very wise man replied, “Do they not need to see how divided this nation is?” 

The philosophers are correct in thinking that a common understanding of life can explain unity in diversity. The dominant philosophy of 21st century America, however, is impotent to accomplish this desired unity. The state-established religion in America today is Secular Humanism. It is taught in the government schools; it rules the court rooms and the halls of the legislature. In the institutions of higher learning, notice, they are not even referred to as universities very often any more. Secular Humanism is not satisfied with dominance. It seeks to kill the philosophy that stands in opposition to it. 

With Secular Humanism's devotion to tolerance it may not be readily apparent to those brought up in this system why unity cannot be achieved by it. The Secular Humanist is taught to tolerate all beliefs and opinions as equally valid. On the surface, if everyone would adhere to this principle without exception peace and harmony would reign among a diverse people. However this view of tolerance breaks down both practically and logically. First, on the practical level, no one really holds to this principle without fail. Every one has something that they absolutely will not tolerate, even if the only thing that they wont tolerate is intolerance. Secondly, a complete adherence to this tolerance violates the laws of logic. A belief in and a denial of the existence of God is a logical impossibility. God either exists or doesn't. Both of these views cannot be equally valid. 

This nation was not founded upon the philosophy of Secular Humanism. It was founded upon the principles of Biblical Christianity. As long as the American culture was grounded in true Christianity there was a unity among the diverse peoples of this nation. The farther the culture diverts from a Christian worldview the more polarized the people become. So the answer to the question, “What has changed? And can unity be regained in such a vast nation of different peoples?” is that America has rejected the only philosophy that makes sense out of a unity in diversity, and a return to ordering society by a Christian worldview will accomplish the unity that Americans desire.

Article originally posted at Christian Worldview of History and Culture

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